ith continued bad news about the economy, Island County officials agreed that just about all possible options for balancing the budget are on the table, including new taxes.
That could mean a new county utility tax, layoffs, reduction of hours, furloughs, cuts in overtime or voluntary relinquishment of health insurance.
The parents of four children who were sexually assaulted by a member of their Oak Harbor church have filed a lawsuit against the church, leaders of the church and the convicted child molester.
The complaint alleges that officials with Living Faith Christian Center were aware of warning signs and complaints regarding Nathan Martinez and his conduct toward children in the church, but they failed to investigate or alert the parents.
A former Oak Harbor man recently pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally importing more than $2 million in counterfeit exercise machines, blenders and other items, then selling them on eBay.
Oak Harbor’s newest talk show can best be described as “eclectic.”
Daniel Miller, a former Friday Harbor resident, moved to Whidbey from California to host his own radio talk show on KWDB 1110 AM.
But “Politics Today,” every Friday from 5 to 7 p.m., is about far more than politics.
At the heart of Island County’s latest $1 million budget hole crisis is Treasurer Linda Riffe’s inability to find banks willing to deal with the county, mainly because of a 1969 state law that few people were aware of before the economic crisis.
A 48-year-old Langley woman was driving in a reckless manner and caused a head-on collision on Cultus Bay Road Oct. 3, 2008, according to documents filed in Island County Superior Court.
Prosecutors charged Patricia Sylvester Feb. 10 with vehicular assault. If convicted, she could face from six months to a year in jail under the standard sentencing range.
A judge sent a stalker to jail last week.
Jermaine Flores, a 22-year-old Oak Harbor man, pleaded guilty in Island County Superior Court to stalking in violation of a no-contact order and violating a no-contact order.
A Level 2 sex offender with a lengthy criminal history will be living homeless in the Oak Harbor area.
Beginning in March, anyone going to the administration building of the Island County campus in Coupeville won’t be able to get in the door of four offices before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
The property tax rate in Oak Harbor will increase by nearly 3 percent this year, due in large part to the Washington State Legislature’s decision to exempt private companies that own military housing on government land from paying the tax, according to the Island County Assessor’s Office.
A former employee of Island County Juvenile Court Services was sentenced to jail Tuesday for stabbing her husband in the leg last October, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Oak Harbor resident Rachel Irvin pleaded guilty in Island County Superior Court to assault in the third degree, according to Chief Criminal Prosecutor Colleen Kenimond.
One of the three young men accused of faking an armed robbery at Oak Harbor Plaza Cinema 3 last fall in order to steal money has made a plea bargain, according to court documents.
Daniel Nichols, a 19-year-old Oak Harbor resident, pleaded guilty in Island County Superior Court to theft in the first degree.
Island County Assessor Dave Mattens said his goal this year is to send out change of property value notices by June 1, which would be the earliest they’ve been distributed in many years — possibly ever.
But property owners who don’t agree with the assessed values need to be aware of a rule change.